JASMIN GARRATT

At Kununurra Kids Early Learning Bush School, we believe that play is the champion and the ultimate teacher and it is only through play and hands on experiences that children begin to make sense of their world. We believe when a child engages in play they begin to take charge of their own learning journey and their environment becomes their teacher. Through play-based learning and exploration of the world around them as well as through investigating, experimenting, and developing skills, children begin to become active and unique citizens of society. Kununurra Kids will have a home base  however we will spend the majority of our time in bush locations around Kununurra and surrounding areas.

My name is Jasmin Garratt and I run Kununurra Kids Early Learning Bush School located in Kununurra, Western Australia. I live alone and moved to Kununurra at the beginning of 2019 to further pursue early childhood learning. I am 26 years old and I have been working with children in numerous roles for more than eight years in Australia and overseas in Africa and Nepal. My role with children has varied from volunteer, carer, English teacher, Yoga teacher, Educator, Early Childhood Teacher and Educational Leader. I have completed my Cert three and diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care and I am currently studying my Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood and Primary Teaching.

It is through my numerous different roles and my years of working alongside children that my own nature based, child-centred learning philosophy began to grow. My philosophy on Early Childhood learning stems largely from a Reggio Emilia (learning through nature) and Forest School approach and has been formed by integrating the research of various child theorists including Paulo Freire, Loris Malaguzzi, Maria Montessori and Friedrich Frobel.

I believe one of our pedagogical responsibilities is to not force a child to learn within the four walls of your own knowledge but rather to open the door for them to access the world of knowledge at their doorstep and that children learn best in an environment that meets their needs such as freedom to explore, developing independence and autonomy, engaging in the mastery of new understandings and skills, fostering connections (such as relationships in the setting, home and local community), creation of a safe place for fulfilling survival needs such as rest and substance and a fun environment full of learning opportunities.